Six

"Why did you request to see me, uncle?" I asked.

"I want to discuss Hades," the man said, closing the door behind him.

"What about him?"

"He's so different now. It's beginning to worry me."

"I know, Thanatos," I responded, sitting in one of the parlor's chairs. "I heard he sent a servant to Tartarus."

Thanatos nodded. "Yeah, Morpheus, he did. I retrieved the poor boy."

"What can we do? If this continues, no spirit will have a fair trial. He's already sent one to Tartarus in a fit of rage."

"Perhaps, the only thing we can do is bring him and his lover together once more?"

"If we do that, Hades loses his kingdom. Not to mention—our homes."

"Yes, I am aware. Do you think that Hades will calm down? Or do we ban him from trials for a few months?"

"No, he will not react well if we ban him. I think you are right in bringing them together once again. Plus, I do like the idea of the Underworld having a queen. His loneliness has plagued him for far too long."

Thanatos laughed, shaking his head. "I can't believe that we are discussing Hades' love-life." I cracked a smile. "But what do you think we should do?"

I sat back in my chair. "I have a few things in mind. But we need my father, Charon, and Hekate, as well."

~~~

I leaned back on my knees and wiped the sweat off of my forehead. My lavender roses are thriving this year. The bush sprouted several large flowers—much to my delight. They all had gorgeous petals. I decided to take a break from my gardening and head inside for some water and food. I pulled off my gloves and put away my tools.

I took my pink tourmaline and opal ring off the pin—I pin it to my shirt while I garden so I don't lose it—and slid it back onto my wedding finger. The silver ring had an opal center stone with small pink tourmalines surrounding it. When I opened the door to the kitchen, the smell of something frying hit my nose. I smiled at Aidon at the stove.

"Hi, momma!" a child's voice called to the left of me. The little girl had straight, dark hair gathered up in pigtails and Aidon's electric-blue eyes. She seemed about three-years-old. She waved her chubby arm at me.

I smiled and approached her high chair. I kissed her hair. "Hi, Calandra."

Aidon transferred the sandwich that he grilled onto a plate and walked toward me. "Here, magnolia. I was about to call you inside for this, but you beat me to it."

He tried to kiss me, but I stepped backward. "No, don't. I'm super sweaty and dirty. I'm going to take a shower."

He grinned, set the plate on the counter, and yanked me to his chest. "The first time I met you, you were gardening. Do you think that I care?"

He started kissing me everywhere on my face. "No," I squealed, laughing. I pushed against his chest, but he wrapped his arms around me, trapping me.

His kisses grew sloppier as he went; eventually, he was borderline licking me. "Gross!" I groaned. "Stop slobbering on me!"

"What do you mean?" he murmured against my jaw.

"Hades!"

"Fine." He placed a slow, genuine kiss on my lips. Calandra, in the background, made a sound of disgust. We broke apart, laughing. "I love you."

"I love you, too, Hades."

I jolted upright in bed, my heart racing. It dawned on me that it was only a dream, and I collapsed against my mattress. Sadness crashed into me, and I held back tears.

No. I balled the sheet in my fists. It's been a month and a half. I will not cry any longer over Aidon.

I frowned, going over the dream. Why did I call Aidon, Hades? I remember that fight him and my mother had—my mother called him that. Is that a nickname?

Why is our child called Calandra? I've never heard that name before today.

I shoved the dream away and glanced at the clock. The glowing numbers read four fifty-three. I groaned; I might as well stay up, now—no use in trying to fall back asleep at this time.

~~~

I fixed my tie in the mirror. Usually, Calantha fixes it for me, but she demanded that I am not to see her before the gala. It is our first gala with her being the queen and my wife.

My wife.

I smiled. I love calling Calantha 'my wife.'

I moved away from the mirror and headed to the Throne Room—Calantha instructed me to meet her there. I pushed the double doors open and almost stumbled. Sitting on her freshly-built throne, Calantha radiated beauty and elegance. The dress she wore was sky-blue and hugged her figure brilliantly. It had a sweetheart neckline and made of satin. The skirt brushed the floor, hiding her shoes.

A white opal crown molded in the shape of asphodels shone in her pinned-up hair. The necklace that I gave her ages ago sparkled on her chest. She locked eyes with me and smiled. Oh, how she still takes my breath away...

"Φαίνεσαι όμορ��η, Κυρία του Υποκόσμου," I proclaimed and stood in front of her.

She laughed. "I do not look beautiful. You are only saying that to get in my good favor."

I put a hand on my chest, feigning hurt. "I would never! I only speak the truth." I stuck out my hand. "Shall we, Κυρία του Υποκόσμου?"

She grabbed my hand, and I helped her off the throne. "Stop calling me that—you know how I hate my title."

"But I love claiming you as my wife."

She grinned and took my elbow. "Oh, shut up, please."

I escorted her to the Ballroom, the sound of music and voices growing louder by the second. We pushed open the doors and descended the marble stairs. In front of the crowd, I bowed and asked, "May I have this first dance, Κυρία του Υποκόσμου?"

She curtsied and smiled. "You may, Κυρίον του Υποκόσμου."

The crowd parted, and I led her to the center of the room. I took her into my arms, and she rested her head against my chest. Her sweet perfume swirled between us. The music started up, and we swayed and twirled to the orchestra. I was content—I finally have the love of my life to myself.

"Can you help me out of my dress?" Calantha met my eyes in the floor-length mirror later that night.

I grinned. "Of course!"

She rolled her eyes. "Not like that! The dress is the lace-up kind. My maid did it earlier, but she isn't here now."

I kissed her cheek and unlaced the laces. She changed into her nightclothes and joined me—where I now laid on our bed. "I love you," I said, drawing back the blankets.

She crawled into my arms. "I love you, too, Hades."

My eyes flew open, the ceiling greeting me. I whipped my head to the right, and my heart sunk, disappointment flooding through me. The images were merely a reverie of unreachable proportions. I watched as the artificial sunlight slowly overtook the room, but I made no move to get dressed.

A servant knocked. "Your Majesty, you may come and eat now."

I glared at the closed door. "I do not wish to eat."

"All right, sire. Would you like us to save it for you later?"

"Yes." No. I knew that I would not like it later, either.

"All right, sire."

~~~

I patted Kerberos on one of his heads. The sound of waves slapping against a hull drew me away from the hellhound. I spotted Charon rowing toward me with three other people. I recognized his passengers—Thanatos; my father, Hypnos, and Hekate. I don't see my father often due to him being asleep. My father has very pallid skin, blue eyes, and flat, blond hair. Hekate had long, tar-black hair, piercing, green eyes, and a dominating aura.

"Why are we here, Morpheus?" Hekate said, not a second after stepping onto land.

I smiled. "Impatient as ever, Hekate. I am assuming you've noticed Hades' mood change after returning, yes?"

Hekate snorted. "Yes. I have received many complaints from my staff about being sent there for absolutely no reason." Hekate, as does Hades, employs servants from Tartarus. "One told me that Hades sent him there for hitting a deer with his car."

Thanatos continued for me, "When Hades returned a few months ago, he told me that he met a woman and fell in love, but Zeus forced them apart because the woman is Zeus' daughter. This anger is the reason for his cruelty. I think he is madder at the fact that Zeus, once again, overrules him than Hades being heartbroken."

"Well, we have a solution to this problem, and it requires you all," I interrupted. "My father and I will send dreams to the both of them to keep the flame alive, and; on the fall equinox, Hekate, you will cause a small enough earthquake to mask the fact that you are creating a hole to the Underworld. The woman falls into the Underworld and, voilà, we have a queen of the Underworld."

"Okay," Hekate said, nodding slowly. "But there are problems with your plan."

I raised my eyebrows. "What is it?"

"Who is the woman?"

Σκατά—Hekate is right.

Luckily, Thanatos spoke up, "I recall the Fates know who she is."

Hypnos spoke for the first time, "And how would you know that, brother?"

"About twenty years ago, Hades grew detached—which is why he left in the first place. The Fates told him that a woman would become important to him. I didn't remember them telling Hades that, but now I do. The Fates will never tell us the woman's identity, though."

"Oh, leave that to me," Hekate responded, smirking. "They owe me something. And the second problem is Zeus' reaction. He will not be pleased."

"What if we give him no choice but to allow it?"

"What do you mean?"

"Hades created that law that anybody who does not belong in the Underworld eats something from here has to stay here, right? Well, what if the woman does that? Zeus will have no choice to give consent, or else the woman gets sick. Zeus has to love the woman enough to prevent that, right?"

Everyone nodded. "Brilliant! We will do just that!"

"But Hades must never find out about this until after the wedding, agreed?"

~~~

When September rolled around, it lifted my spirits a bit. Every year, my mother and I hold small ceremonies to commemorate the seasons changing. She tells me that it's a tradition that her mother passed down to her. And that the tradition started when everyone was a farmer's wife in the 1600s.

We gather fallen leaves, apples, corn, and wine. We set up a pile of items in my mother's backyard. We wait for sunset, then we light some candles, thank the universe for the harvest, and burn all of it. The acts vary depending on the season.

That ritual is the only time my mother isn't smothering me. I enjoy doing it immensely.

I don't consider myself pagan, but I could see how some people do.

On the day of the equinox, I felt happy enough to take a stroll in the wilderness behind my house. That is my go-to spot for a hike. I left a little after twelve so that I still had time for our evening festivities. As I dressed, I found myself humming.

I haven't hummed since... well, never mind.

As I walked through the forest-like place, I took in everything. I let the energy from the trees and plants soak into my skin. I allowed the birds singing in the treetops to soothe me. Before I knew it, I had walked for forty-five minutes.

With a frown, I searched for an idea of where I am. As I perused the area for trail-markers, I noticed a spot of ivory among the tan, dead grass. I moved closer and spotted a patch of white daffodils.

How are these guys still thriving? They should have closed up by now—for the summer, bulbs hibernate. Are these some rare strand of daffodils that I didn't know about yet?

I bent to admire one when the soil beneath me started trembling. I jolted upright and shot my arms out to stable myself. Shock swept through me as the earth a few feet away started to separate and come apart. Slowly, but surely, a chasm opened a foot from my feet.

I peered into the gaping hole—I couldn't see the bottom. My heart rate picked up; I could hear the blood pounding in my ears. I stiffened arrow-straight, desperate not to disturb the fragile cliff where I stood. I held my breath, anxiously trying to keep my balance.

I watched as the chasm sucked in the daffodils, their white petals disappearing into the literal abyss. The wind picked up and blew my hair into my face. I spat out my hair and shielded my face against the swirling leaves and bits of grass; I closed my eyes and prayed. The force of the quaking grew, and I wobbled. I dared not even to blink while it still shook.

A shape moved to my left—a woman. The wind spun her raven-black hair around her pale face. Strangely, she wore a floor-length black dress that flowed around her legs. It wasn't all that cold today. I opened my mouth to call for help, but the dirt beneath me crumbled. I gasped and tried to back away, but the movement worsened it.

That woman was the last thing that I saw before the ground gave out, and I fell.